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Obama salary giveback is a farce

9:45 a.m. EDT, April 11, 2013

In the Sunday Baltimore Sun, there was an article entitled "Some lawmakers to give back pay" (April 7). It claims that President Barack Obama is showing solidarity and shared sacrifice with the federal employees who are about to be furloughed. What a joke and an insult!

President Obama will give back 5 percent of his salary or $16,667. Furloughed employees will be giving back 21 days of pay, about 13 percent of their salaries. If Mr. Obama really wants shared sacrifice, as he states, he would give back 21 days of pay or $32,308. More so, considering all the free perks he and the first lady receive, it should probably be at least $50,000, and he and the first lady still wouldn't feel the pain of the furloughed employees!

Now here in Maryland, what I find even more amusing is our Maryland senators' and representatives' response to President Obama's gesture.

Our Maryland senators' and representatives' annual salary is $174,000; 21 days of their pay would be $14,054. And according to the article, what are they giving back? Some did not respond when questioned. Others gave figures from zero to 8 percent. And the real slap in the face is that they will give it to charities of their choice — which they most likely do annually anyhow! And why — so they can get the deduction on their taxes for 2013, and still make it look like they understand of the furloughed federal employee's pain.

What a farce! If anyone in this country doesn't think we have royalty, they should just look to Washington where virtually all the senators and representatives are at least millionaires or will be before they leave office. And what's worse is we continue to re-elect the same individuals so they can have even more!